Research
My research concerns using remote sensing data to understand past and present surfaces on Mars and the Earth. Below are some of the past and present projects I’ve worked on.
Ancient Surface Processes on Mars
We know that there was liquid water on Mars billions of years ago, forming rivers, lakes, and possibly even oceans, but how long did this “wet” period(s) last for? My work uses a combination of high-resolution orbital images and analogue environments on Earth to investigate ancient rivers and lakes on the surface of Mars. In particular, I am interested in exhumed river deposits which form ridges in the landscape (inverted channels). The CTX image to the left shows a 100 km exhumed channel-belt deposit in the Arabia Terra region of Mars.
Exploration of Gale Crater with Curiosity
Gale crater is one of the best locations on Mars to explore the presence of water on early Mars, how it changed over time, and the implications for the ancient climate. Since 2022, I have been a Participating Scientist on NASA’s Curiosity rover, which recently celebrated its tenth year exploring Gale. I am interested in using the rover’s instruments to explore Gale’s rich record of surface processes and what they tell us more widely about Mars. Image credit: NASA/JPL/MSSS.
Aeolian Processes on Mars
Like on Earth, sand is being transported today across the surface of Mars. However, unlike on Earth, sand dunes are dark and most move at rates comparable to those in Antarctica. My work uses repeat images, from orbital datasets such as CTX and HiRISE, to monitor how certain dunes move across Mars. The animation to the left shows barchan dunes in McLaughlin crater advancing south at ~ 1 m/year.